Neutrals. To involve a neutral in the con sequences of violating the blockade, it is in dispensable that he should have due notice of it. This information may be communicat ed to him in two ways: either actually, by a I formal notice from the blockading power, or constructively, by notice to his government, or by the notoriety of the fact; Prize Cases, 2 Black (U. S.) 635, 17 L. Ed. 459; 6 C. Rob. Adm. 367; 2 id. 110, 128; 1 Act. Prize • Cas. 61. Formal notice is not required; any au thentic information is sufficient; 1 C. Rob. Adm. 334 ; 5 id. 77, 286; Edw. Adm. 203; 3 Phill. Int. Law 397; The Revere, 24 Bost. L. Rep. 276, Fed. Cas. No. 11,716; Hall, Int. L. 648; it is a settled rule that a vessel in a blockaded port is presumed to have notice of a blockade as soon as it begins; 2 Black 630.
Breach. A violation may be either by go ing into the place blockaded, or by coming out of it with a cargo laden after the com mencement of the blockade. Also placing himself so near a blockaded port as to be in a condition to slip in without observation, is a violation of the blockade, and raises the presumption of a criminal intent ; 6 C. Rob. Adm. 30, 101, 182; Radcliff v. Ins. Co., 7 Johns. (N. Y.) 47; 1 Edw. Adm. 202; Fitz simmons v. Ins. Co., 4 Cra. (U. S.) 185, 2 L. Ed. 591; The Josephine, 3 Wall. (U. S.) 83, 18 L. Ed. 65. The sailing for a blockaded port, knowing it to be blockaded, is held by the English prize courts to be such an act as may charge the party with a breach of the blockade; British instructions to their fleet in the West India station, Jan. 5, 1804; and the same doctrine is recognized in the Unit ed States; Yeaton v. Fry, 5 Cra. (U. S.) 335, 3 L. Ed. 117; The Nereide, 9 Cra. (U. S.) 440, 3 L. Ed. 769 ; 1 Kent *150; The Ber muda, 3 Wall. (U. S.) 514, 18 L. Ed. 200; 3 Phill. Int. Law, 397; Hall, Int. L. 662; The Revere, 24 Bost. L. Rep. 276, Fed. Cas. No. 11,716. See Fitzsimmons v. Ins. Co., 4 Cra. (U. S.) 185, 2 L. Ed. 591; Maryland Ins. Co. v. Woods, 6 era. (U. S.) 29, 3 L. Ed. 143; Vos v. Ins. Co., 2 johns. Cas. (N. Y.) 180; id., 469; 10 Moore, P. C. 58; The Adula, 176 U. S. 361, 20' Sup. Ct. 432, 44 L. Ed. 505.
But in the case of long voyages, sailing for a blockaded port, contingently, might be permitted, if inquiry were afterwards made at convenient ports; Maryland Ins. Co. v. Woods, 6 Cra. (U. S.) 29, 3 L. Ed. 143; Sper ry v. Delaware Ins. Co., 2 Wash. C. C. 243, Fed. Cas. No. 13,236; but the ordinance of
1781 authorized the condemnation of vessels "destined" to any blockaded port, without any qualification based upon proximity or notice. A neutral vessel in distress may en ter a blockaded port ; The Diana, 7 Wall. (U. S.) 354, 19 L. Ed. 165.
Penalty. When the ship has contracted guilt by a breach of the blockade she may be taken at any time before the end of her voyage; but the penalty travels no further than the end of her return voyage; 2 C. Rob. Adm. 128; 3 id. 147; The Wren, 6 Wall. (U. S.) 582, 18 L. Ed. 876. When taken, the ship is confiscated; and the cargo is always, pri ma facie, implicated in the guilt of the own er or master of the ship; and the burden of rebutting the presumption that the vessel was going in for the benefit of the cargo, and with the direction of the owners rests with them; 1 C. Rob. Adm. 67, 130; 3 id. 173; 4 id. 93; 1 Edw. Adm. 39. The Decla ration of London (q. v.) Arts. 1-21, apart from re-stating existing practice, lays down the following rules upon controverted points: The question whether a blockade is effective is a question of tact, that is, each case must be decided upon its own merits; a "declara tion" of the blockade must be made by the blockading government or by the naval au thorities acting in its name.- This declara tion must be followed by a "notification," first, to the neutral powers themselves, and, secondly, to the local authorities, who must, in turn, notify the foreign consular officers at the place. The liability of a neutral ves sel is dependent upon the knowledge of the blockade, and this knowledge is presumed if the vessel left port subsequently to the noti fication of the blockade to the neutral power. Neutral vessels may not be captured for breach of blockade except within the area of operations of the war-ships maintaining the blockade, nor, if they have broken block ade "outwards," are they liable to capture after pursuit has been abandoned by the blocking force. This overrules the British and American doctrine stated above.
BL 0 0 D. Relationship ; stock ; family. 1 Roper, Leg. 103; 1 Belt, Suppl. Ves. 365. Kindred. Bacon, Max. Reg. 18.
Brothers and sisters are said to be of the whole blood if they have the same father and mother, and of the half-blood if they have only one parent In common. Baker v. Chalfant, 5 Whart. (Pa.) 477. See Oglesby Coal Co. v. Pasco, 79 Ill. 166; 15 Ves. 107,